Road grader



June 17 1924. 1,497,891

H. W. CLEMONS ROAD GRADER Filed April 23, 1925 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June17 1924. 1,497,891

H. w. CLEMONS ROAD GRADER Filed April 23, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

Patented June 1?, 1924.

PATENT OFFICE.

EAROLD W. GLEMONS, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

ROAD GRADER.

To all whom it concern:

Be it known that I, HAROLD W. CLEMoNs, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State ofMinnes'ota,ehave invented certain new and useful Improvements in RoadGraders; and I do'hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Broadly stated, nly invention provides an improved road grader adaptedfor use ill forming and maintaining dirt road beds,

and, generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices andcombinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

The road-grading mechanism may be incorporated with any suitable form ofcarrying truck, but it is of such character that it is especially welladapted for application as an attachment to motor-propelled trucks,'suchas the well known commercial auto trucks, or to many of the variousdifferent forms or types of commercial tractors. WV hen applied to acommercial truck, the grading mechanism will usually be attached to thetruck frame with the scrapers arranged to Work between the front andrear wheels, but when attached to a tractor, the grading attachment willusually be connected to and supported from a supplemental frame or framebeams projected either forward-or rearward of the tractor wheels.

The nature of the invention and the advantages derived therefrom may bebest explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, whichillustrate my invention in what is at present believed to be itspreferred embodiment.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like characters indicate like partsthroughout the several views, 7

Fig. 1 is a plan View showing somewhat diagrammatically a commercialauto truck stripped of its body and some parts being omitted, butillustrating my improved grading attachment or mechanism applied theretFig.2 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1, some parts beingomitted,

Application filed April 23, 1923. Serial No. 634,168.

and the rear wheels being diagrammatically indicated by dotted lines;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken approximately on the line 3-3 ofFig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section iaken approximately on the line44 of Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section taken approximately on'the line 55of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a detail in section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Of the parts of the truck, in so far as they are illustrated, thenumeral 7 indicates the truck frame, the numeral 8 vthe rear tractionwheels, the numeral 9 the rear axle structure, and the numeral 10indicates the drivers cab located on the front of the frame 7 andindicated only in diagram.

As a feature of this invention, I employ interchangeably usable frontand rear blades or ground-working implements, which may be scraperblades, scarifiers, levelling bars, or the like; and as a connectionbetween the same and the truck frame, I provide push bars, drag bars, aring bearing, and a bladeswinging or adjusting ring. The push bars arepreferably made longitudinally adjustable or variable in length, eachbar comprising overlapped angle irons 11 rigidly but adjustablyconnected by nut-equipped bolts 12. At their rear ends, the push bars11, by means of nut-equipped U-bolts 13, are rigidly clamped to shortbearing sleeves 14 pivotally mounted on a cross rod 15, the ends ofwhich are adapted to be passed through either of several verticallyspaced holes 16 formed in anchor brackets 17, which latter, by means ofnut-equipped U-bolts 18, are rigidly secured on the under sides of theside bars of the frame 7 and are adapted to be adjusted forwardly andrear wardly thereon.

The dragbars 19, at their front ends, are quite loosely pivoted to thefront ends of the push bars 11, by a nut-equipped bolt 20/ A dependinghook :21. is pivoted on the central portion of the bolt 20, and spacingsleeves22 are loosely placed on said bolt between the hook and the frontends of the push bars. The front sections of the pushbars 11 arepreferably cross-connected by a tie-bar23, so that the push bars areconnected to form a sort of an A-frame,

which is very strong in its pushing action and will resist lateralthrust, but, nevertheless, will be somewhat flexible in that bolted orotherwise rigidly secured it will submit sufficient oscillation on thelongitudinal axis of the truck so as.not to interfere with tiltingadjustments of the scraper blade.

The drag bars 19 are pivoted on the ends of the bolt 20, just outward ofthe push bars 11, and at their rear portions, they are rigidl clamped,preferably by nutequipped -bolts 25,- to a segmental ring bearing 26.For an important purpose, the drag bars 19 are provided with extensions24 that project diametrically outward in oposite directions and affordsupporting arms or the ring bearing 26, which latter is arranged to beraised and lowered and ad j'usted through connections that willhereinafter be described and which connections are attached to saidarm-forming extensions.

The segmental ring bearing 26, (see particularly Fig. 4), has adepressed shouldered flange 26 on which is rotatively mounted a largebearing ring 27. The bearing 26 is provided with a spring-pressed lockdog 28 that is adapted to engage any of several circumferentially spacedperforations 29 in the bearing ring' 27. To hold the bearing 26 againstlateral swaying movements in respect to the push bars 11, it is tied toone of said push bars by a link 30, (see Fig. 1). This link 30, asshown, is loosely pivoted to the push bar by one of the bolts 23 thatconnect the tie-bar 23 to saidpush bar, and the other end of said linkis connected to the bearing 26 by a pin 31 on said bearing that isadapted to be inserted into any 0 several perforations in said link. Theconnections between the link 30 and the parts to which it is connectedare loose enough to permit the necessary movements of the bearing 26 anddrag bars 19 in respect to the push bars 11.

To the front portion of the ringl 27 is t e central portion of a longcross beam 32, preferably in the form of a channel beam, and rigidlysecured at its central portion to the rear portion-of the ring 27, bybolts or otherwise, is a similar beam 33. The beams 32 and 33 areparallel and, to rigidly connect and brace the same, they are connectedto the sides of the ring 27 by truss bars 34.

Located in front of the beams 32 and 33, respectively, are supplementalbeams 35 and 36, which, at their upper edges, are perforated and looselyhung on elbow bolts 37, the long ends of which are passed rearwardthrough perforations in the respective beams 32.,and 33 and providedwith nuts .238 between which and the backs of the respective beams 32and 33 coiled compression springs 39 are placed around said bolts. Theupturned ends of the elbow bolts 37 work through slots 40 in theforwardly projecting ends of angle brackets 41 riveted or otherwiserigidly secured to the tops of the cooperating beams 32 and 33. Spacingsleeves 42'are :placed on the bolts 37 between the main and supplementalbeams, and said sleeves, as shown, have rounded front ends. The numeral43 indicates a concave scraper blade rigidly but detachably secured bynut-equipped bolts 44 to the supplemental beam 36 and extended below thesame with its lower ed e arranged to scrape the ground or road be whenlowered. The numeral 45 indicates a hook pivoted to the intermediateportion of the tie-bar 23 and depending therefrom. The numeral 46indicates tie-bars which connect the front and rear beams 32 and 33, notfar from their outer ends. 'Neartheir central portions, these tie-bars46 have bearings 47 in which the vertical stems of caster-acting gageshoes 48 are swiveled. By means of pins insertable through perforations49 in the stems of the shoes 48, above and below said bearings, thesecaster-acting gage shoes are made vertically adjustable.

R-igidly secured by nut-equipped hook bolts 50 to the intermediateportions of the sides of the truck frame 7 are short depending posts 51,as shown in the form of angle irons, and to the lower ends of theseposts are rigidly secured transversely aligned bearings 53 in which isjournaled a transverse windlass shaft 54. Rigidly secured to the outerends of the windlass shaft 54 are upstanding bearing brackets 55, theupper ends of which arebifurcated to hold between their prongs andagainst endwise movements short worms 56 secured to stub shafts 57journaled in said prongs or bifurcated upper ends of said bracket. worms56 mesh with worm gears 58 loosely journaled on the ends of the windlassshaft 54 and provided with rear-wardly projecting arms 59. Said arms 59are made cir-' cumferentia-lly adjustable on the respective worm gearsby nut-equipped bolts 60 that are engageable through different radialrows of circumferential spaced perforations 61 formed in said worm gears58. The arms 59 are provided with longitudinally spaced perforations 62,through any of which eye-bolts 63 are adapted to be applied.

The numeral 64 indicates link-acting bolts passed through the eye-bolts63, provided with threaded stop nuts 65 above the same and, at theirlower ends, having heads pivotally connected to the outer ends of thearms 24, which latter, it will be remembered, project from the ringbearing 26 and, as shown, are formed integral with the respective dragbars 19.

. For independently operating the worms 61, I have" shown "operatingrods 66 con- The downwardly turned ends of brackets 69 rigidly securedto the sides of the truck frame 7.

Just outward of one of the bearings 53, "as shown at the left-hand side,the Windlass 1O shaft 54 has a rigidly secured spur gear 70 that mesheswith another spur gear 71 journaled to a projection of the adjacentbearing 53 and secured to one end of a lever 72. The free end of thelever 72 works adjacent to the left-hand bracket 69 and is adapted to besprung laterally into and out of engagement with either of several ver-.tically spaced hook lugs 73 formed on said adjacent bracket. To carry agreater part of the weight of the ring 27 and'the scrap- Y ers orroad-working devices carried thereby, I have provided a pair of heavcoiled springs 74, the lower ends of w ich, as shown, are attached tothe arms 24 and the illustrated, are attached to the Windlass shaft 54.I

Downward movements of the push bars 11 are limited by upwardly divergingchains 30 or cables 75, the lower ends of which are attached to saidpush bars and the upper ends of which are anchored to and adapted to bewound upon said windlass. These chains not only sustain the weight ofthe front ends of the push bars 11, but brace the same against lateralswaying movement.

In the arrangement illustrated, the upper ends of the chains 75 aredirectly secured'to collars 76 that are adjustably securable on 40 theWindlass shaft 54 by bolts 77 insertable through any of severalperforations 78 formed in said shaft. Adjustment of the collars'76adapts the Windlass shaft to be properly journaled to truck frames thatvary conslderably in width.

In the machine illustrated, the front or forward road-grading tool ordevice is of the character known as the scarifying device, and thisfeature is accomplished by providing the supplemental beam 35 withdepending scarifying pins 79. To make these pins 79 readily replaceable,they are passed through perforations in the lower flange of the beam 35and have laterally bent ends passed through perforations in the upperportions of the beam 35 and provided with removable anchoring pins 80,

(see particularly Fig. 4).

"The numeral 81 indicates coiled springs placed on the link-acting rods64 and compressed between the lower ends thereof and the cooperatingeye-bolts 63.

To adapt the attachment to trucks having frames located'difl'erentdistances above 55 the ground, the Windlass shaft 54 is made verticallyadjustable by providing means for vertically adjusting the bearings 53on the posts 51; and, as shown, this is accomplished. by providing saidposts with vertically spaced bolt holes 82 through which nut-equippedbolts 83 may be passed, as best shown in Fig. 3. The hook bolts 50permit the posts 51 to be adjusted longitudinally on the frame.

Operation.

In grading or maintaining roads, the scraper blades or similarroad-engaging working tools will be set obliquely with the line oftravel. In the drawings, they are shown as set to work the earth towardthe left-hand side of the truck or machine, but, as heretoforedescribed, they maybe set obliquely in the opposite direction and at anydesired angle to the line of travel, simply by adjustments of the lockdog 28 into one or the other of the holes 29 in'the ring 27, which ring,of course, rotates in v the setting of the blades or tools. 2 upper endsof which, in the arran ement When the lever 72 is interlocked with oneor the other of the lugs 73 on the cooperating bracket 69, the Windlassshaft 54 will be held against rotation, and thus the brackets 55'thatsupport the worms 56 are then held stationary so that they then affordstationary bases of reaction, preventing axial movements of the worms56. Hence, by rotation of the adjusting rods 66, the arms 59 may beoscillated upwardly to raise and downwardly to depress the ring 27 andthe scraper blades or tools carried thereby; and, inasmuch as the saidrods 62 may be independently rotated, the scraper blades or similardevices may be set to work on a level or inclined in either direction inrespectto horizontal planes, as required in roundin up or beveling thesides of road beds. filo-mover, when the arms 59 are forced downward soas to compress the springs 81, the lower ends of the, scarifying pins 79and the lower edge of the scraper blade 43 will be pressed into theground, but the downward movement thereof into the ground will belimited by the gage shoes 48. The swiveling of these gage shoes adaptsthem to more readily follow the line of travel of the machine.

Raising and lowering of the scraper blade and scarifying device willusually be accomplished by manipulation of the adjusting rods 66.However, it is frequently desirable to temporarily and quickly firstraise and subsequently lower said blades and scarifying device to causethem to clear'some obstruction, such as a rock, for example. This may bedone by a quick manipulation of the lever 72. Upward movement of thelever 72 will raise and downward movement thereof will lower saidscraper blade and scarifying device.

When the downward movements of the front ends of the push bars 11 arelimited by the chains 7 5 and the guide bars 19 are then lowered bymovement on the then relatively fixed bolt 20, the scraper blade will belowered faster than the scarifying device, and this is desirable whenthe action requires the scraper blade toout deeper than the scarifyingpins. Nevertheless, the scraper blade and scarifying pins may, whendesired, be set to work at the same elevation or on the same level. Toaccomplish this, it is only necessary to properly raise or lower thefree front ends of the push bars 11 and this may be accomplished eitherby hooking the chains 7 5 to longer or shorter lengths or by shiftingthe engagement of the levers 72 from one to the other of the lugs 73. i

If the pressure on the lower edge of the scraper blade 43 or on thelower ends of the scarifying pins 79 should be so excessive as toendanger breaking, then the springs 39, (see Figs. 4 and 5), will yield,thereby permitting the supplemental beams 35 and 36 to oscillate on thelower flanges of the main beams 32 and 33; and this will cause theupturned ends of the bolts 37 to move forward in the slots 40 and thelower, extremities of said blade and pins to oscillate rearward andthereby release themselves to a greater or less extent sufiicient toprevent breakage.

When the machine is backed up, the scraper blade and scarifying pins arefree for forward swinging movements, so that they will clear themselvesof or pass over accumulated dirt or the like. I

. When the machine is to be moved from place to place, the scraper bladeand the scarifying device may be swung forward andupward intoapproximately horizontal inoperative position and there held by theengagement of the hook 21 with the lower flange of the supplemental beam35 and by the engagement of the hook 455 with the edge'of the scraperblade'4c3, as shown by dotted lines in Figs. 4: and 5. Here it will benoted that the perforations in the upper edges of the supplemental beams35 and 36 adapt them to be freely turned from engagement with thehorizontal into engagement with the vertical portions of the elbow bolts37. It may be'further noted that if dirt should accumulate and presshard against the upper portions of the supplemental beams 35' and 36, orin engagement with the scraper blade 43above the lower fulcrum-actingflange .of the beam 33, the

spacing sleeves 42 willact as stops to preventsaid supplemental beamsfrom yielding orvmoving rearward in respect to the cooperating mainbeams 32 and 33.-

The various different adjustments in the connections .for attaching theexcavating mechanism to the truck frame make it an easy matter properlyto connect the grader attachment to truck frames or tractor frameshaving a wide range and variation in their different dimensions.

The cooperative arrangementof the push bars and drag bars and theirconnections to the scraper blades or ground-working also the push bars11 may be freely lifted whenever the pressure, due to exclusively hardroad beds or the like, tends to move the scraper blade upward. Theconnections described give the proper means for limiting the downwardmovements of the scraper blade and sca-rifying pins or the like intothen-ground, but do not positively hold the same downward, and permitthe same to be forced upward instead of subjecting the same always tothe excessive strains that would be applied if they were not free torise. Of course, gravity and the yielding pressure applied theretoaresufficient to hold them to their work under normal operative conditions.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a supporting frame, of push bars pivotallyconnected thereto at their rear ends, drag bars pivotally connected attheir front ends to the front ends of said push bars, and a,groundworking tool connected to the rear ends of said drag bars.

2. The -combination with a supporting frame, of push bars pivotallyconnected thereto at their rear ends, drag bars pivotally connected attheir front ends to the front ends of said push bars, a groundworkingtool connected to the rear ends of said drag bars, and means forlimiting the downward movements of said push bars and drag bars.

3. The combination with a sup-portin frame, of push bars pivotallyconnected thereto at their rear ends, drag bars pivot ally connected attheir front ends to the I front ends of said push bars, a ground-v saiddrag bars, and independently adjustable devices for limiting thedownward movements of said. push bars and drag bars.

The combination with asupporting frame, of push bars pivotally connectedthereto at their rear ends. drag bars pivotally connected at their frontends to the front ends of said pushbars, agroundworking tool, connectedto the rear ends of said drag bars, and independently adjust abledevices for limiting the downward movements of said push bars and dragbars, and which limiting devices will yield under upward pressure.

6. The combination with a supporting frame, of push bars pivotallyconnected thereto at their rear ends, drag bars pivotally connected attheir front ends to the front ends of said push'bars, a ring bearingsecured to said drag bars, a ring pivoted on said bearing, a scraperblade connected to said rin for horizontal rotary adjustmentstherewith,- and means for securing said ring and scraper blade indifferent angular adjustments' 7. The structure defined in .claim 6 inwhich said ring hearing has outstanding arms, and in further combination'with means mounted on said frame and connected to said arms forvertically adjusting the same.

8. The structur defined in claim 6 in which said ring bearing hasoutstandin arms, and in further combination wit means mounted on saidframe and connected to said arms for vertically adjusting the same, andmeans mounted on said frame for vertically adjusting the front ends ofsaid push bars independently of vertical adjustments of said bearingblade ring and scraper blade.

9. Th structure defined in claim 6 in which said ring bearing hasoutstanding arms, and in further combination with means mounted on saidframe and connected to said arms for vertically adjusting the same, andin further combination with means mounted on said'frame for independently vertically adjusting said arms to thereby vertically adjust saidscraper blade and to set the same at different inclinations.

10. The combination with a supporting frame, of push barspivotallyconnected thereto at their rear ends, drag bars pivotallyconnected at their front ends to the front ends of said push bars, and agroundworking tool connected to the rear ends of said drag bars, thesaid push bars being longitudinally extensible. h

11. The structure defined in claim 6 in further combination with atransverse thrust bar connecting said ring bearing to one of said pushbars to resist lateralthrust but permitting relative vertical movementsof the members connected thereby.

1 plemental beam.

12. The structure defined in claim 1 in which there is a secondground-working tool extended parallel to th firstnoted groundworkingtool.

13. The structure defined in claim 1 in which there is a secondground-working tool extended parallel to the first noted ground-workingtool, the said two connected ground-working tools being arranged forsimultaneous horizontal angular adjustments -so as to work the earthtoward either side ofthe machine.

14. The combination With a supporting frame, of push bars pivotallyconnected thereto at'their rear ends. drag bars pivotally connected attheir front ends to the .front ends of said push bars, a ground- Workingtool connected to the rear ends of said drag bars, the saidground-working tool being mounted for forward swinging movements, andmeans for securing the same in an inoperative position when swungforward and upward.

15. The combination with a supporting frame. of push bars pivotallyconnected thereto at their rear ends, drag bars pivotally connected attheir front ends to the w comprising a fixed main beam, a supplementalbeam pivotally connected to said main beam at its 'upper portion andengageable with the lower portion thereof to limit the rearward movementof said supplemental beam, and ground-working means secured to anddepending from said sup- 18. In a grader, the combination with a fixedmain beam, of rearwardly springpressed elbow bolts passed through theupper portions of said main beams'with their upturned ends in frontthereof, guides for the .upper ends of said elbow bolts permittinglongitudinal forwardmovements thereof, a supplemental beam pivotallvhung on the front end portions of said elbow bolts and capable offorward swinging movements thereon, means limiting the rearward movementof the upward portion of said supplemental beam, and ground-workin meanssecured and depending from sai supplemental beam.

' 19.-The structure defined in claim 18 in further combination with adepending hook,

said supplemental beam to hold the same in a forwardly upturnedinoperative position.

20. The structure defined in claim 1 in further combination with acounterbalancing spring anchored on said supporting frame and sustainingpart of the weight' I bearing and sustaining part of the weight of theload carried thereby.

22. The structure defined in claim 1 in further combination with aWindlass shaft carried by said supporting frame, reversely obliqueflexible connections between said Windlass shaft and the front portionsof said push bars, means for oscillating said Windlass shaft and forlocking the same against rotation, worm gears rotatively mounted on theends of said Windlass shaft and provided with radially projecting arms,connections between said arms and drag bars for vertically adjusting thesame and the ground-working tool carried thereby, brackets secured tothe ends of said Windlass shaft adjacent said worm gears, worms againstrotation, worm gears rotatively mounted on the ends of said Windlassshaft and provided with radially projecting arms, connections betweensaid arms and drag bars for vertically adjusting the same and thegr0und-working tool carried thereby, brackets secured to the ends ofsaid Windlass shaft adjacent said worm gears, worms journaled in saidbrackets and meshing with said worm gears, operating connections forindependently rotating said worms, and means for vertically adjustingsaid Windlass shaft in respect to said supporting frame.

24. The structure defined in claim 1 in further combination with aWindlass shaft carried by said supporting frame, reversely obliqueflexible connections between said Windlass shaft and the front portionsof said push bars, means for oscillating said Windlass shaft and forlocking the same against rotation, worm gears rotatively mounted on theends of said Windlass shaft and provided with radially projecting arms,connections between said arms and drag bars for vertically adjusting thesame and the ground-working tool carried thereby, brackets secured tothe ends of said windlass shaft adjacent said worm gears, wormsjournaled in said brackets and meshing with said worm gears, andoperating'connections for independently rotating said worms, theconnection between said arms and drag bars being unyielding under upwardtension but yielding under downward compression.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HAROLD W. GLEMONS.

